Why I Left My Materialistic World For Third World Country Living

As I sit and write this I look around me and there is very little left of my belongings. I sold most of my stuff back in June and here it is 3 months later and I’ve managed to downsize even more. I know, it’s crazy and I still can’t believe I did that. This is the story of how and why I left my life of wealth in exchange for third world countries.

What’s left to my name is 3 boxes of pictures, books and other very sentimental items. That’s it, that’s all. I’ve managed to reduce 53 years to 3 boxes. I’ve already given up so much of my materialistic life in search of freedom. I’m almost there.

This week I’ll be jetting off to Guatemala, one of the third world countries I’ve chosen to start my journey, for an undetermined length of time. The million dollar question these days appears to be “How long are you going for?”. No clue. Nope. I may stay 3 months, 5 months, I may never come back.

I don’t know and, at this point, to be perfectly honest, I don’t really care. I can’t think or plan that far in the future. Nobody can. Ever. Plan all you want, things change.

Third world countries adventure

So I was having a discussion with my son about me packing up all my stuff, donating another big chunk of it and selling a few more things. This time around, my car is on the chopping block. That’s the last big “piece” of me, my stuff. He asked how I was feeling. I have very mixed emotions.

I feel nothing, I feel overwhelmed, I feel excited, I feel scared, I feel empty.

I told him I have nothing but am leaving everything.

I have nothing left here in Sudbury, and I really don’t (independent of my one sister and my two cute little nephews). Julian is on the other side of the world, my parents are “gone”, I don’t have a job here anymore (retired back in July), and now I don’t even have a home. There is nothing for me here. Really. I’m hoping my journey to some third world countries will fill the void in me.

How I found freedom in a third world country

Bye life…the only one I’ve known

But I am leaving everything. The only life I’ve ever known for 53 years. Familiar stores and buildings, neighbourhoods and people. The people I’ve known for a few years, many years, all my life. The place I raised my son. The grocery store I love to shop at. My car, my life, my everything. All this materialistic stuff gone. It was time for freedom.

Everything I have ever known for 53 years is being left behind so I can travel to one of the third world countries on my list, one I’ve never been to, alone, to volunteer with people I’ve never met. 53 years of life and accumulated things, “stuff”, have been sold, donated and pitched in the garbage for an unknown future. I’ve given it all up.

I have nothing but am leaving everything. And I’m perfectly ok with it. I’m more than ok with it. I’m ready. I realized that life, my life, is not meant to be weighted down with stuff. My life is meant to be lived spreading love and joy to as many people as I can in any way I can.

I’ve tripped and skipped through life looking for my purpose, my passion, what’s going to rock my world and make me happy. What a journey it has been. My careers have been exciting, and boring, but they were exactly what they were supposed to be to get me to where I am today. From Waitressing/Bartending to Loans and Mortgage Officer (yup, boring) to Income Tax Corrector (again, boring), Fitness Instructor/Personal Trainer to Hairstylist, Correctional Worker to Feng Shui Practitioner. Colourful and completely fulfilling. The end result? A passionate writer and blogger that has a huge treasure chest full of really cool stuff to write about!

About Me

Iva Ursano is a retired hairstylist turned badass freelancer, who left behind 52 years of her life in Northern Ontario, Canada for a life of freedom, love and beauty in sunny Guatemala. She has two main purposes in life: stop malnutrition and help inspire people to live a life of joy and love. Check out her new self help guide From Hell to Happiness!